Thursday, January 10, 2013 2:31 PM

CRUISING WITH THE CLASSICS
Faye Diebold of Metairie
Vehicle: 1969 Jaguar XKE Type 2 plus 2
History: Diebold purchased the car in 2006. The Jaguar has all its original interior, and it is a numbers matching car. which means all of its parts are the way they came from the factory. It also has a straight 4.2, six-cylinder engine, manual four-speed transmission with dual Stromberg carburetors and factory racing suspension. Since purchasing the car, Diebold has had the suspension, axels, brake system, tires, clutch cylinders, ignition system, exhaust and entire rear end units restored to original show quality.
Honors received: Diebold has entered the XKE in several Back to the Beach and Sheriff's Office Benefit car shows where it has received 10 Best British Car awards.
Other vehicles in collection: Diebold also owns a 1967 Shelby GT 350, 1969 Corvette convertible, 1976 European Mercury Capri, 1969 Chevrolet Nova drag car, 1989 Corvette convertible, 1992 Corvette convertible, 1980 Triumph TR7 and 1991 Honda CRX Si.
Diebold: "I have been interested in cars and horsepower all my life. When I was a kid, I owned a mini bike, and I started driving cars before I was old enough to have a license. I hold a Sports Car Club of America competition racing license. Enzo Ferrari called the XKE Jaguar 'the most beautfiul car ever made.' And I agree. I became interested in the E Type Jaguars in the 1970s but did not have garage space for one. But when I found this one (1969 XKE Jaguar) I knew I had to have it. It fit nicely into my garage space that had been recently vacated by my 1967 Shelby GT 350, which is currently undergoing a full frame off restoration."
If you would like to have your vehicle featured in Cruising With The Classics contact Earl Hodges at earlhodges@msn.com or 504.887.4731.